Grain drier or steamer



No. 626,|4a. Patented May 3o, |899. n. DEMPsTEn.

GRAIN DRIER 0R STEAI'JIER (Application sled Apr. 2s, 1897.) No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet l.

No. y526,|4. Patented May 30, |899. R. DEMPSTER.

GRAIN DRIER 0R STEAMER.

(Applicatin filed Apr. 28, 1897.)

"3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

fNo Model.)

WlT/VESSES:

me Nonms mans ou., rnomuma. wAsmNovon, n4 c.

No. 626,148. Patented may su, |899. i n. nlamwsre.`

GRAIN DRER 0H STEAMER.

(Application filed Apr. 2S, 1897.)

(No Model.) y s sheets-snm a.

C C' C' c Imm fm/ a c e c c J ff C C W2 U U l D u UU :@jffg TH: Nonms PETERS ou. yuovou'ma, WASHINGTON. u. c.

IOv

UNITED lSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT DEMPSTER, oF VENICE, ILLINois, AssiGNoR on ONEHALE To GEORGE L. GRAHAM, or sr. Louis, MIssoURI.

GRAIN DRIER OR STEAMER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 626,148, dated May 30, 1899.

Application filed April 28, 1897.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that LROBERT DEMPsTER,a citizen of the Upited States, residing at Venice, in the county of Madison and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grain Driers or Steamers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in driers or Steamers for grain, fruit, and other products. l

These improvements have reference to the ,Y means providing automatic continuous operation of the apparatus, have reference to a feeder to spread a regulated quantity of material and the mounting and operation of said feeder, have reference to an adjustable spout adapted to furnish a regulated quantity of material from the stock-hopper to the measuring-hopper, have reference to a su perposed series of rotatable trays successively supporting the material being treated, have reference to actuating devices for said trays, and to other peculiarities of construction and arrangement hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, ou which like reference characters indicate corresponding parts, Figure l represents a front view of my apparatus, partly in section; Fig. 2, a side view of the same; Fig. 3, a plan view of the drying-bin from the plane X X, Fig. l; Fig. 4, a plan view of the measuring-hopper and slide-operating device on the plane Y Y, Fig. l; Fig. 5, a plan of valve of measuring-hopper, and Fig. 6 a perspective of the hollow bearing.

The object of my invention is to provide an apparatus which will operate automatically to dry, steam, or otherwise treat continuously the product, whether grain, fruit, or other material, desired to operate on, supply such material in regulated quantities in layers,subject them to the action of hot air, steam, or other vapor, open up and mix the material composing each layer at regular periods, and

discharge the successively-treated portions of the material supplied while vrenewing the supply at the beginning of the series.v

Serial No. 634,191. (No model.)

Referring to the drawings, the letterA Adesignates a bin of rectangular or other shape having a hopper-bottom B and suitably supported and braced by framework. (Not shown.) The depth of the bin may vary with circumstances and the special material for which the drier is to be mainly used. The drying-bin is divided horizontally by means of rotatable trays or supports C, mounted on end journals D, supported in the front and rear of the bin or otherwise. These trays are adapted to iit snugly together at their edges in horizontal position, so that they form iioors or a series of flats for the support of the material delivered to the upper iiat and deposited successively on those below b v the rotation of the supporting-trays@ An opening is left alternately at the sides or ends of the bin or elsewhere, so that a continuous zigzag passage is formed for the hot air from the inlet-pipe E near the bottom of `the bin to the outlet-pipe F near the upper portion of the bin. yl`he air is heated by any suitable means and caused to pass by blast or other means across or through the layer of material at the bottom flat, and thence successively over or through the layers till it becomes charged with moisture and lowered in temperature and is delivered to the pipe F or elsewhere. The grain or other material most nearly dried .thus receives the hottest air and the material entering the bin in its moist condition will still be affectedbythe air of lower temperature passing out. In other words, the contrast in temperature and humidity is sustained as far as possible.

The trays in their horizontal position form a nearly air-tight floor, so that the air-currents are forced to travel over the whole surface of each layer instead of through any thin or uncovered portion of the support, as in the case of perforated or screen supports. The hot air also warms the iron or other material composing the trays, so that grain is merely warmed on the first upper layer or iat and then subjected to gradually higher sides of the tray alternately support the superposed material. On the extended end of one of the journals D of each supportingtrayis mounted a spur-gear that inter-meshes with the adjacent gears in the same dat. As thus connected the trays would rotate in alternate directions at the same time and each make a half-revolution. Other connecting means may be employed; but each wing-like section may be rotated alternately opposite from the two directly adjacent to it, as indicated by arrows in the fifth row from the top, or by interposing idler-gears between the diminished gears on the trunnions D, as shown in the third and fourth rows, Fig. 1, each section in the fiat always rotates in the same direction. The intermeshed gears or other connecting means form independent sets, but are caused to operate successively at suitable intervals by means of a traveling rack, dog, or other means engaging intermittently with each set of gears. Thus a vertical chain G, mounted ou wheels II Il', carries a set of teeth or dogs I on its t'ront face that are adapted to mesh with driving-gears J, operating the respective sets. As the dog I passes cach driving-gear or star it rotates the latter half a revolution and operates all the trays in that flat likewise, thereby dumping the layerof material lyingthercon. Passing upward to the next driving-gear or star, the dog then causes the layer of material upon that flat to be deposited on the one below that has just been rotated, and so on successively.

The interval of time between the operation of successive flats is determined by the speed of the dog I, which may be regulated by the driving mechanism of the chain G. I have shown an intermittent action caused by the engagement of a gear-wheel K on the shaft L with a drivin g-tooth M on the shaft N, which tooth at each rotation partly rotates the wheel Kintermittently, and thus operates one fiat. 'lhe shaft N is rotated by bevel or other connection with a driving-shaft O, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

The material in the stock-hopper P is delivered through spouts Q to a measuringhopper R, from which it enters a spreading device S, which deposits it in a layer upon the upper fiat of the drying-bin. The spouts Q, are arranged to telescope, as shown in Fig. l, so that their lower ends are adjusted to greater or less distance from the bottom of the measuring-hopper R. Each hopper is provided with a valve p 0', respectively, and the lower valve being closed and the upper opened by automatic means, presently to be described, the material will descend till it chokes the lower ends of the spouts, when the fall will cease. The upper valve being closed and the lower valve 9 being open will then allow the material to descend into the spreading device consisting of an oscillating or swinging trough having multiple legs s, diverging from the center of oscillation, formed by the trunnions T T', fastened to the ends of the feeder and the measuring-bin, respectively, or to other suitable support. The trunnions are hollow, as shown in the drawings, and allow the passage of the valve-stein at one or both ends of the Valve r, to which stem is attached a slotted head U, engaged by a crank U on a vertical shaft V. The valve p is similarly operated by a head W and crank W', the cranks being arranged to throw in opposite directions, as shown in Fig. l. The shaft V is rotated a half-revolution at predetermined periods to open the valve p and similarly close the valve 7, thus allowing the measuring-hopper to receive its charge, and when the first set of trays dumps its material the valve a' opens and p closes, and the spreading device is oscillated to supply another initial layer. This intermittent rotation of the shaft V is causedby connection with the chain G-such, for instance, as sprocket and chain l and 2, respectively, connecting a driving-gear 3, which is operated by a dog 4 on the side edge of the chain G, Fig. 2. The dog4 will rotate the gear 3 half a revolution and is located on the chain II at right angles to the dog I. Vhen the dog I passes the upper flat, as shown by dotted lines, Fig. 1, the dog is about to engage the gear "5 and open the valve 1' of the measuringhopper. Another similar dog 5 will close the valve o' after a suitable period for the discharge of the measuring-hopper.

The spreading-spout is started to oscillate at the same time, or nearly so, as the valve is opened. Thisis eifected by a clutch bevel- 'pinion (S, slidingly mounted on a shaft 7, having a crank 8, connected by a bar f) with a pin 10 en the leg or other portion of the spout S. The sliding pinion is adapted to mesh with the bevel-wheel on the shaft N by means of a trip device, such as a lever l2, one end of which connects with the bevel-pinion (i and the other end is tripped by engagement with the head U or crank U when they are thrown to other (dotted) position, Fig. l. A spring 13 or other means will throw out the clutch-pinion when the shaft V rotates its next half-turn. Thus the spreading device is oscillated only during the time the valve r is open to deliver the charging material. The amount of oscillation is regulated by the throw of the crank-pin adjusted in the holes at different distances from the center, as shown in Fig. 2. The drivingshaft and counter-shaft O and N rotate continuously; but I have exemplified means to operate the respective parts of my apparatus intermittently and in proper succession with regard to each other to carry out properly the principle of my apparatus.

Thus, for example, if the driving-tooth M rotates four times a minute and operates the gear K one tooth at each revolution a distance equal to the space between the flats the dog I will dump a fiat every fifteen seconds and the seriesv of fiats (nine in this instance) in two and one-fourth minutes. Then, proceed- IOO IIO

ing downward on the return side of the chain, it will leave thematerial subject to the action 'of the currents of hot air during a certain peonce more ready for the neXt oscillation.-

Thus the action of the apparatus will continue indefinitely and automatically.

It will be observed that the trays rotate always in the same direction for each tray, but

adjacent trays rotate in opposite directions. Y

This is the preferred arrangement, as it avoids the gradual shifting of the material from'one side of the bin toward the other as it is dumped from layer to layer, which shifting tendency would occur were all the trays to rotate in the same direction; or the opposite rotation of adjacent sections may be secured by rotating all the sections of one flat in one direction and all the sections of the adjacent flat in the opposite direction by interposed idler-gears or other well-known means for reversing the direction of rotation. The passage for the air may also be located at the trunnion ends of the trays, as shown -in Fig. 2, instead of at the side, if so desired. The currents of air will then pass parallel to the ridges that may be formed in dumping the material from one layer to another, and such ridges will present morev surface to the drying action of the air than if the material were laid perfectly level. One or more of the flats may be perforated to allow the passage of the air through the layers, and such arrangement maybe used in connection with the imperforate trays to facilitate the drying action. The drivin g-gear or star of each flat may be dispensed with and the iirsttrunnion-gear may be used as its equivalent to connect with a proper rack on the chain or other operating device to actuate the whole fiat.

The speed of the rotation of the trays may be adjusted according to the material operated on and other than a half-rotation may be employed under some circumstances. The preferred operation, however, is as above described; but I do not limit myself to the exact construction herein shown.

The operating-piece M may be replaced by one having two or more teeth and the speed of the chain will be increased correspond-- ingly, thus readily accommodating the apparatus to the kind of material being treated or to other circumstances. Instead of hot air the apparatus may be supplied with steam and thus act as a steamer, especially for treating grain prior to grinding, and therefore I do not limit my apparatus to its use as a'drier, but have explained its operation as suchto exemplify my invention.

Referring again to Figs. l and 2, the journals D have bearings in strips cl, supported on the inner edges of the studding forming the walls of the bin. The strips at one or both ends are split horizontally, so the upper part can be raised and any of the trays be lifted and drawn out through the sheathing at the gear end for repairs or other purpose.

The deecting boards or pieces c fit in between the studding and cover the space between the outer sheathing and the bearingstrips d, as shown in Fig. 2. The arrows show how the passage of the air takes place around said bearing-strips forming the continuous passage for the steam or hot air used in the operation of the apparatus. When placed at the side of the bin, as shown in Fig. 1, the deflectors c make air-tight contact between the sheathing or side of the bin and the adjacent side edge of the tray, as shown.

I-Iaving thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. An apparatus for treating grain, fruit and other products, comprising a bin having inlet and outlet openings, means to supply steam or hot air to said bin, a set of rotatable trays mounted in said bin withl their side edges meeting in a horizontal plane,and means to rotate said trays a half-revolution intermittently, in the same direction individually.

2. An apparatus for treating grain and other products, comprisinga bin having inlet and outlet openings, means to supply steam, or hot air thereto, independent sets of rotatable trays mounted in said bin with their side edges adapted to meet to form a horizontal floor, interconnections between the trays in each set, and means to semirotate said trays by sets successively, thereby dumping the material of one set successively upon the next lower, and presenting the lower surface of the trays to receive the material.

3. An apparatus for treating grain and other products, comprising a bin having inlet and outlet openings, rotatable trays mounted by horizontal sets therein, and adapted to make intermittent half-revolutions, an independent driving-gear and operative connections for each set of trays, a traveling chain and carrying-wheels therefor mounted adjacent to said driving-gears, a driving-piece carried by said chain, and having teeth adapted to engage each driving-gear successively, and means to effect the travel of said chain.

4. An apparatus for treating grain and other products, comprising a spreader device, consisting of a bin pivotallymounted to oscillate, and diverging extensions to direct the material outward, a hopper located above said spreader, a valve between said hopper and spreader, and means to oscillate said spreader when said valve is opened.

5. A measuring-hopper for a spreading device in grain-drying, consisting of a bin having a valve-bottom, adjacent spouts leading into said hopper, whereby the amount delivered before choking will vary with the distance of the spouts from the valve-bottom, a regulating-valve for said spouts, and means IOO to close the regulating-valve and open the hopper-valve, and vice versa, at predetermined periods.

6. An apparatus for treating grain, fruit and other products, comprising a bin having an inlet and an outlet for air or steam, rotatable trays adapted to meet at their edges and arranged in successive horizontal sets, trunnions for said trays, gears on said trunnions intermeshing by sets, a driving-gear for each set, a traveling chain, a dog or rack on said chain for engagement with said driving gears in succession, and means to cause the travel of said chain intermittently.

7. An apparatus for treating grain, fruit and other products, comprising a bin consisting ot' vertical studdingand outer sheathing and having an inletand an outlet opening for air or steam, a series of horizontal sets of movable trays, trunnions on said trays, bearing-strips on the inside of said studding, deilectors between the studding from the said strips to the sheathing and arranged at alternately opposite ends ot' said trays, and operative connections for said trays.

8. An apparatus for treating grain, fruit and other products, comprising a bin having an inlet and an outlet for air or steam, rotatable trays mounted in a series of horizontal sets therein, a driving-gear and operative connections for each set, a hopper located above said bin, a valve for said hopper, a traveling chain, means to operate said chain intern'iittently, a rack on said chain adapted to engage successively with each drivinggear, and operative connections between said chain and the said hopper-valve to operate the latter after the upper set of trays are operated, to furnish a new supply therefor.

9. The combination with a hopper having valve-openings in the bottom, of a slidable valve mounted opposite said openings, and havinga transverse slot at one end, a crankshaft provided with a crank and pin engaging said slot in the valve, and means to rotate said shaft intermittently by half-rotations.

l0. rIhe combination with a stock-hopper having a valve, a measuring-hopper having a valve, adjustable spouts between said hoppers adapted to regulate the supply from one to the other according to the length adjusted, an oscillating spreader for said measuringhopper, and means to oscillate it, of a shaft having opposite cranks respectively connected te said hopper-valves, and means to rotate said shaft by half-revolutions, alternately to open and close said hoppers respectively.

1l. The combination withameasuring-hopper having outlet-openings, and a slidable valve adapted to close said openings and provided with stems at both ends, ot an oscillating spreader consisting of a trough having multiple spouts, a li'angerforeach end of said trough consisting of two parts each having a trunnion forming a hollow bearing for the spreader and stems of said valve, and means to oscillatc said valve and spreader respectively.

'l2. The combination with a hopper having outlet-openin gs, and a Valve adapted to close said openings, of a spreader consisting of a trough mounted to oscillate below said hopper and provided with multiple depending spouts diverging from said trough,and means to operate said spreader and valve at predetermined periods.

lf3. The herein-described spreader consisting ot' a trough S provided with diverging spouts s, the end hangers on said trough, the supporting-hopper R, the hanger having a hollow trunnion matching the spreaderhanger, the valve r, the stem and slotted head U, the operative crank U', and adjunctive devices adapted to deliver and reeeiv'e the supply to said hopper and from said spreader respectively.

let. The combination with driving-gears and devices operated thereby, of a traveling chain and carrying-wheels mounted adjacent to said gears, toothed dogs or racks mounted on the face of said chain adapted to engage successively with said gears and rotate the latter a predetermined amount, a toothed dog or rack mounted on the edge of said chain, adjunctive devices operated by engagement with the dog or rack on the edge of the chain, and means to eltect the travel of said chain.

l5. The combination with two hoppers, the one delivering to the other, and a valve for each hopper, of a crank-shaft having opposite cranks respectively connected to said valves, an oscillating spreader fed from the lower hopper, a connecting-rod and adjustable crank for said spreader, a crank-shaft, a clutch bevelpinion thereon, a drivingbevel, a trip-leverV adapted to engage said bevel-pinion and its driver simultaneously With the opening of the lower valve and means to operate said crank-shaft intermittently.

1G. The herein-described process of treating grain, fruit and other products, the same consisting in subjecting layers of the material being treated, to hot air, steam or other vapor of continually-falling temperature or diminishing humiditythe layers of the material which are farthest advanced in the ICO IIO

treatment, being subjected to the hottest and 

